Privacy

This policy explains what information we collect when you use StoryComment’s sites, services, mobile applications, products, and content (“Services”). It also has information about how we store, use, transfer, and delete that information. Our aim is not just to comply with privacy law. It’s to earn your trust.

Information we collect & How we use it

We don’t collect data in order to advertise to you. The tracking we do at StoryComments is to make our product work as well as possible.

In order to give you the best possible experience using StoryComments, we collect information from your interactions with our network. Some of this information, you actively tell us (such as your email address, which we use to track your account or communicate with you). Other information, we collect based on actions you take while using StoryComments, such as what pages you access and your interactions with our product features. This information includes records of those interactions, your Internet Protocol address, information about your device (such as device or browser type), and referral information.

We use this information to: provide, test, improve, promote and personalize StoryComments Services, fight spam and other forms of abuse, generate aggregate, non-identifying information about how people use StoryComments Services.

When you create your StoryComments account, and authenticate with a third-party service (like Twitter, Facebook or Google) we may collect, store, and periodically update information associated with that third-party account, such as your email or lists of friends or followers. We will never publish through your third-party account without your permission.

Information disclosure

StoryComments won’t transfer information about you to third parties for the purpose of providing or facilitating third-party advertising to you. We won’t sell information about you.

We may share your account information with third parties in some circumstances, including: (1) with your consent; (2) to a service provider or partner who meets our data protection standards; (3) with academic or non-profit researchers, with aggregation, anonymization, or pseudonomization; (4) when we have a good faith belief it is required by law, such as pursuant to a subpoena or other legal process; (5) when we have a good faith belief that doing so will help prevent imminent harm to someone.

If we are going to share your information in response to legal process, we’ll give you notice so you can challenge it (for example by seeking court intervention), unless we’re prohibited by law or believe doing so may endanger others. We will object to requests for information about users of our services that we believe are improper.

Data storage

StoryComments uses third-party vendors and hosting partners, for hardware, software, networking, storage, and related technology we need to run StoryComments. We maintain server logs and event logs. By using StoryComments Services, you authorize us to transfer, store, and use your information in the United States and any other country where we operate.

Third-party embeds

Some of the content that you see displayed on StoryComments is not hosted by StoryComments. These “embeds” are hosted by a third-party and embedded in StoryComments. For example: YouTube or Vimeo videos, Imgur or Giphy gifs, SoundCloud audio files, Twitter tweets, GitHub code, or Scribd documents that appear within a StoryComments story. These files send data to the hosted site just as if you were visiting that site directly (for example, when you load a StoryComments post page with a YouTube video embedded in it, YouTube receives data about your activity). StoryComments does not control what data third parties collect in cases like this, or what they will do with it. So, third-party embeds on StoryComments are not covered by this privacy policy. They are covered by the privacy policy of the third-party service.

Some embeds may ask you for personal information, such as your email address, through a form. We do our best to keep bad actors off of StoryComments. However, if you choose to submit your information to a third party this way, we don’t know what they may do with it. As explained above, their actions are not covered by this Privacy Policy. So, please be careful when you see embedded forms on StoryComments asking for your email address or any other personal information. Make sure you understand who you are submitting your information to and what they say they plan to do with it. We suggest that you do not submit personal information to any third-party through an embedded form.

If you embed a form that allows submission of personal information by users, you must provide near the embedded form a prominent link to an applicable Privacy Policy that clearly states how to you intend to use any information collected. Failure to do so may lead StoryComments to disable the post or take other action to limit or disable your account.

Tracking & cookies

We use browser cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you return to our Services. We use them in various ways, for example to log you in, remember your preferences (such as default language), evaluate email effectiveness, allow our paywall and meter to function, and personalize content and other information.

StoryComments doesn’t track you across the Internet. We track only your interactions within the StoryComments network (which encompasses StoryComments.com and custom domains hosted by StoryComments).

Some third-party services that we use to provide the StoryComments Service, such as Google Analytics, may place their own cookies in your browser. This Privacy Policy covers use of cookies by StoryComments only and not the use of cookies by third parties.

Modifying or deleting your personal information

If you have a StoryComments account, you can access, modify or export your personal information, or delete your account in Settings.

To protect information from accidental or malicious destruction, we may maintain residual copies for a brief time period. But, if you delete your account, your information and content will be unrecoverable after that time. StoryComments may preserve and maintain copies of your information when required to do so by law.

Data security

We use encryption (HTTPS/TLS) to protect data transmitted to and from our site. However, no data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, so we can’t guarantee security. You use the Service at your own risk, and you’re responsible for taking reasonable measures to secure your account.

Email from StoryComments

Sometimes we’ll send you emails about your account, service changes or new policies. You can’t opt out of this type of “transactional” email (unless you delete your account). But, you can opt out of non-administrative emails such as digests, newsletters, and activity notifications through your account’s “Settings” page.

When you interact with an email sent from StoryComments (such as opening an email or clicking on a particular link in an email), we may receive information about that interaction. We won’t email you to ask for your password or other account information. If you receive such an email, please send it to us so we can investigate.